Alejandro Pérez*

Partner | Employment, Labor, and Benefits

About

Alejandro defends employers of all sizes against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, wrongful termination, unfair labor practice charges, and other disputes arising out of the employment relationship. He also represents employers in matters involving the misappropriation of trade secrets, breaches of restrictive covenants, non-compete agreements, and other contractually based claims.

  • Corporate and Compliance Counsel

    Alejandro relishes learning about his clients' businesses and works closely with them to create handbooks, HR policies, and develop best practices that are maximally compliant, minimize risk, increase employee job satisfaction, and support diversity and inclusion. He also assists clients with compliance-related concerns and helps with labor and employment issues that arise during mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions. He also helps clients with internal audits in various areas, including pay equity studies, I-9 compliance, and other employment-related compliance concerns.

    Investigations

    Alejandro conducts and oversees internal investigations in various business-critical areas, including workplace misconduct at all levels, involving executives, entire facilities or departments, or Spanish-speaking witnesses. Alejandro is skilled at managing investigations involving complex dynamics and significant public interest, including matters involving company and department heads, media attention, and elected government officials. He also represents clients facing governmental investigations and audits.

    Training

    Alejandro travels around the country speaking and training employers, managers, and workforces on a myriad of cutting-edge employment law and labor relation topics, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQ+ workplace issues, workplace civility, the creation of respectful workplace norms, and leadership development. Alejandro enjoys assisting his clients and others by demystifying the most complex employment laws and developments.

    Cyber & Data Privacy

    Alejandro acts as privacy/breach counsel to companies in numerous industry sectors. Alejandro counsels companies and firms in response to cybersecurity incidents as well as on pre-incident privacy and data protection issues. Alejandro also advises companies on regulatory compliance obligations relating to cyber and privacy issues. He has defended actions arising out of privacy incidents.  He also assists companies in developing comprehensive global and domestic privacy and data security programs, privacy policies, as well as guiding and providing training and practical advice to companies in navigating state, federal, and international privacy regulations.

    Public Accommodations

    Alejandro advises and defends clients in various industries, including healthcare providers, hotels, retail stores, restaurants, large arenas, and other places of public accommodation, in matters involving disability access under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    External/Fractional General Counsel

    Alejandro acts as outside general counsel for small and midsize companies, and large companies looking to increase their bench strength. In that capacity, Alejandro provides strategic advice on corporate affairs, compliance, governance, contract negotiations, employment law, trade secrets, and privacy matters. He also assists clients by overseeing outside litigation counsel and assisting with risk management.

    Civil Litigation

    Alejandro also litigates cases involving defamation, fraud, professional liability, negligence, business disputes, and other commercial issues. A native Spanish speaker, Alejandro adeptly handles legal matters in both English and Spanish. Alejandro's clients benefit from his ability to communicate fluently with their Spanish-speaking workforces, accurately draft and translate key employment documents, policies, and communications, and bridge language and cultural boundaries.

    Prior to attending law school, Alejandro clerked for the Honorable Patricia A. Orozco (Ret.)  at the Court of Appeals, Division I.


Practices

  • Appellate

  • Arbitration and Mediation

  • Cannabis, Hemp & CBD

  • Civil Pretrial and Trial Services

  • Class Action Defense

  • Commercial Litigation

  • Education

  • Employment and Labor

  • Intellectual Property Litigation

  • International Disputes

  • Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility

  • Litigation and Risk Management

  • Professional and Management Liability

  • Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants

  • White Collar Defense & Investigations

Admissions

  • Arizona

  • U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

  • *Not licensed in Texas


Education

  • J.D., Phoenix School of Law, 2013

  • B.A., University of the Incarnate Word, 2010


Community and Legal Involvement

  • ACLU of Arizona (Board President, FY 2024; board member 2021-present)

  • Hispanic National Bar Association (Regional President, Region XIV)

  • DRI: Association for Civil Defense Attorneys (employment law, privacy law, and investigation committees)

  • Association of Workplace Investigators

  • Los Abogados Foundation (board member, 2022-present)

  • Phoenix Pride (Board Secretary, 2022; board member 2019-2023)

  • Xico Arte y Cultura (Board Chair, 2015-2018; board member, 2013-2018)

  • Hispanic Leadership Institute, Class of 2013

  • American Bar Association (2010-present)


Recognition

  • Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016-present)

  • Best Lawyers Ones to Watch – Litigation – Labor and Employment (2024)

Experience

  • Ogletree Deakins

  • Jackson Lewis

  • Jones, Skelton, & Hochuli

Selected Speaking Engagements and Publications

  • The FMLA Bootcamp, SHRM-Greater Tucson, October 2024

  • Everything You’ve Wanted to Know about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act . . . But Were Afraid to Ask, Prescott Area Human Resources Association, August 2023

  • What to Expect in 2024: Important Legal Updates, Central Arizona Human Resource Management, March 2024

  • Produced and wrote content for Work Matters, a labor and employment law blog and podcast from 2017-2021

  • Cultivating and Encouraging an Authentic Workplace, State Bar of Arizona, September 2023; Prescott Area Human Resources Association, August 2022; SHRM, January 2022

  • I-9 Compliance and the Remote Workforce, BASIC, November 2022

  • Employment Practices & Liabilities, Cold Chain Institute West, February 2022

  • Discrimination/Disparate Impact Issues Faced by Employers Striving to Diversity the Workplace, BASIC, June 2021

  • Making Sense of it All: Employment, the Law and COVID, InBusiness Magazine February 2021 issue

  • I-9 Audits Compliance and Impacts of COVID-19, BASIC, December 2020

  • Blowing the Whistle: What Employers Should Know About Whistleblower Claims, InBusiness Magazine, August 2020 issue

  • Don’t Get Ill Over Paid Sick Time, InBusiness Magazine, March 2020 issue

  • Why U-Haul’s New Nicotine Hiring Policy is Legal—But Potentially Not Practical, KJZZ/NPR 91.5, January 2020

  • Cutting Through the Weed(s): The Impact of the Legalization of Marijuana in the Workplace, InBusiness Magazine, November 2019 issue